Watch: Building stock could be cracking up - engineer

Concrete does not last forever – particularly if not done well to start with

Tue, Jun 18th 2019, 16:04 Last updated on 19/6/19

Concrete buildings deteriorate with time but need to be maintained, a civil engineer warned.

“We are putting considerable emphasis on geotechnics,” Ruben Paul Borg – a senior lecturer in materials and structures told Times Talk, referring to the recently-published guidelines for the construction sector.

He had told the Times of Malta some years ago that many residential buildings under construction at the time would face problems in 30 to 40 years due to defective concrete that was not being tested for durability.

“We need to make sure that we monitor our buildings because materials deteriorate and if it has defects initially, or it is not maintained well, it is a probability that it would not withstand its original intended lifetime. And that is a problem,” he said.